From January through October 2013, the overall share of more restrictive or regulatory investment policies continued to increase to reach 32 percent. At the international level, the trend to negotiate regional investment agreements continues.​

Many of the world’s poorer countries have improved their debt balances in recent years, but “this positive trend is now sputtering,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi told a debt-management conference this morning. ​

UNCTAD’s Secretary-General, government ministers, and other high-level officials stressed today that a sound corporate reporting infrastructure plays a crucial role in promoting investment, financial stability, and development.